mercoledì 21 novembre 2012

NEWSFLASH – Afghanistan: 8 Executions.

The executions were carried out after President Hamid Karzai signed 16 execution orders on Monday 19 November.

The last executions in Afghanistan took
place in June 2011, when two men were hanged. Prior to this, Amnesty
International had not recorded executions in the country for 2 years.

These executions are a major setback. A
few days ago on 19 November in the UN General Assembly’s Third
Committee, Afghanistan had changed its vote from opposition to
abstention on the draft fourth resolution calling for a moratorium on
executions.

Unfair trials remain a concern with many
not receiving proper legal representation in death penalty trials.
Although the use of torture is specifically prohibited by the Afghan
Constitution, ADPAN documented last year that torture by police remains
widespread and people have reportedly been sentenced to death after
forced confessions and without cross-checking evidence and testimonies.

ADPAN calls upon the Government of
Afghanistan to immediately halt all executions, to place an immediate
moratorium on all executions and to commute all death sentences.